ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – In an interview on the Charlie Brennan Show on KMOX, Charlie Dooley responded to questions regarding the Ed Mueth scandal, the Bridgeton landfill crisis and concerns over alleged nepotism in county government hiring, among other topics.

Dooley talked about his appointee, then-police board president Greg Sansone, co-owning a firm that got a $3.7 million contract to install heating and air conditioning for the new police crime lab.

He is distancing himself from the ongoing FBI investigation of the St. Louis County police board.

“The investigation is not about St. Louis County. People need to understand that,” Dooley said. “The investigation is about the general contractor and the sub-contractor – not St. Louis County. When people keep talking about this corruption thing, it has always amazed me – nobody’s been charged with anything. Why? Because it’s untrue.”

Dooley was asked why he has never attended the monthly community meetings in Bridgeton on the landfill crisis.

“Symbolically, wouldn’t it be helpful if you personally went there to meet with these people?” Brennan asked.

“Symbolically, let me say this, again we have the best people representing St. Louis County,” Dooley said. “The people that know the situation, the doctors. We have our people there at every single meeting, and, let me be clear about this, I’ve been told that Mr. Stenger comes there, and stays five minutes, and then leaves.”

Dooley responded to concerns about alleged nepotism in county government hiring. He was asked about the hiring of the son and daughter of his former chief of staff and current campaign treasurer, John Temporiti.

“Looks a little cozy when family members of friends are getting these jobs,” Brennan said.

“Charlie, let me be clear, nobody in my family, OK? I’ve hired no one in my family, OK? That’s not nepotism. I do not hire enemies that oppose me or my campaign. That is not illegal. For people to indicate that, is shameless. It is shameless,” Dooley responded.

Dooley defended his handling of the Ed Mueth scandal, in which the former top official of the county health department diverted $3.4 million in taxpayer money to a company he owned under a fake name.

“So, do you believe that Mueth should’ve been caught earlier?” Brennan asked Dooley.

“Of course I believe he should’ve been caught earlier. There’s no question not a question about it,” Dooley said. “It is troubling. How could that happen? But things happen. Are you saying – that’s like saying, when the counselor signs off on the contracts, should someone have caught it? Mr. Stenger, for example, is a CPA, and it started about six years when he came on the council. Why didn’t he catch it?”